


kitchen sinks and night skies

by SmoshArrowverseFan



Series: every end of a time is another begun. [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Gen, Killing Game Was A Virtual Reality Simulation (Dangan Ronpa), Post-Canon, kaito is mentioned a lot and tenko's mentioned a little, you should probably read the first part in this series first lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28614231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmoshArrowverseFan/pseuds/SmoshArrowverseFan
Summary: Shuichi can’t sleep.It’s probably (definitely) becoming a problem, but, all things considered, it’s a problem he’s fine with ignoring for the time being. After all, a good cup of coffee can keep him alert, and it doesn’t come with the added bonus of nightmares. Yeah, maybe it makes him a little jumpy, but to be fair… he’d probably be jumpy regardless.He gets restless at night. During the day, he occupies himself with puzzles and mystery novels and the occasional episode of a trashy soap opera or sitcom in the media room, but once he’s laying down in bed, all he wants to do is get up and move.And so, he does.-or, shuichi starts training again.
Relationships: Harukawa Maki & Saihara Shuichi, Harukawa Maki & Saihara Shuichi & Yumeno Himiko, Saihara Shuichi & Yumeno Himiko, you can definitely tell some of the ships i'm building toward but there's nothing yet lol
Series: every end of a time is another begun. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092551
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16





	kitchen sinks and night skies

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! this shoulddd be the last entry before ppl start waking up, but i wanted to have at least one fic that's just the three survivors where there's like. actual dialogue.
> 
> also, like i said in the tags, you should probably check out the first entry in the series before reading this one!!
> 
> anway, i hope you enjoy this, and thanks for reading :)

Shuichi can’t sleep.

It’s probably (definitely) becoming a problem, but, all things considered, it’s a problem he’s fine with ignoring for the time being. After all, a good cup of coffee can keep him alert, and it doesn’t come with the added bonus of nightmares. Yeah, maybe it makes him a little jumpy, but to be fair… he’d probably be jumpy regardless.

He gets restless at night. During the day, he occupies himself with puzzles and mystery novels and the occasional episode of a trashy soap opera or sitcom in the media room, but once he’s laying down in bed, all he wants to do is get up and move.

And so, he does.

Shuichi slips out of his bed, pulling a cable-knit sweater over his plain-looking pajamas, slides on his shoes, and leaves his room.

The lights in the hallway are dim, but remain on. Shuichi walks with no destination in mind, past the mostly empty rooms. He passes Himiko’s, which is across the hall and two doors down, and then Maki’s which is at the very end of the hallway. He turns the corner, and passes the storage closet, the locked group therapy room, and the cafeteria. He walks into the lobby, and it’s only when he’s already across the room and pushing open the door to the outside courtyard that he realizes what he’s doing.

He’s used to training at night. He’d spent almost every night in the simulation after Kaede’s death training. Just him, Kaito, and later, Maki. He’s missed it, he realizes. Of course, he’s missed Kaito, and his constant back and forth with Maki. He’s missed the side of Maki that Kaito always managed to bring out. He’s also missed the side of _himself_ that Kaito brought out. But, he realizes all of a sudden, he’s missed the training itself.

Well, Shuichi figures, his body may not be used to exercising a lot, but the same had been true at the beginning of the simulation. He’ll just have to start over, and get used to the activity all over again. It'd give him something to work towards, at least. He could use some more solid goals to keep himself busy.

He lowers himself to the ground and begins a set of fifty sit-ups. He was able to do more in the simulation, but it was important not to push too hard from the start. He’ll work up to doing more in time.

Shuichi easily slips into the rhythm of the sit-ups. Like he expected, they're harder than they were the last time he worked out, but the movements are familiar to his mind, if not his body. He feels better than he has in weeks, and the cool air is a welcome change from the stuffiness inside the building.

He’s definitely going to keep doing this, he decides. He should invite Maki next time, since she’ll probably appreciate the physical activity. He might as well invite Himiko, too. She definitely won’t be able to keep up with them, but she’ll appreciate being invited, and probably keep them company, at least. It could be good for all of them.

Still, training isn't the same without Kaito’s overwhelmingly positive words of encouragement pushing him forward. The night sky is cloudy and dim, a far cry from the vibrant, unobscured view of the stars that they had in the simulation, which, looking back, Shuichi probably should’ve been more suspicious of. Still, it’s more familiar than most things in his life these days. If he closes his eyes, he can almost imagine he’s back in the grass outside the dorms, with Maki and Kaito bickering next to him.

Shuichi reminds himself that they’ll be able to do that again soon. He smiles at the thought, but there’s still a tangle of nerves and fear and doubt in the pit of his stomach that warns him not to get his hopes up. He’s used to bad things happening when he has hope, after all. It’s better to expect nothing and be pleasantly surprised than to have high expectations and be let down.

Still, in spite of himself, Shuichi hopes. He believes in his friends. Apparently, Kaito had rubbed off on him more than he'd realized.

Looking up at the night sky as he finishes his sit-ups, Shuichi watches as the clouds part, and, for a moment, he’s able to see the stars again.

They’re just as bright as he remembers.

* * *

The next morning, Shuichi wakes up feeling rested. After he'd returned to his room the night before, he fell asleep far more quickly than he had since the killing game ended. It had been dreamless, too, which was a refreshing reprieve from the constant nightmares that typically plagued him.

He gets changed into his day clothes and heads to the cafeteria, where Maki is already seated and drinking her coffee. She nods at him in greeting as he heads to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of his own.

“Morning,” He greets her. She grunts in response, which he takes as a sign that she’s only just woken up. She’s not a morning person, although she wakes up the earliest out of any of them. Shuichi suspects that she’s used to functioning on very little sleep, which is a little worrying, but he's not going to say anything about it. After all, he's not exactly one to talk.

He pours his coffee and adds in a little cream, before taking a seat across from her at the table.

“Did you sleep well?” He asks. Maki shrugs.

“Not really. Did you?”

Shuichi takes a sip of his coffee before replying. “Ah… yes, actually. Thanks.”

Maki doesn’t say anything for a moment, her eyes trained on the coffee in her hands. When she finally does speak, her voice is distant, and Shuichi can tell she’s thinking about something else. “That’s good, I guess.”

Shuichi clears his throat awkwardly. “Y-yeah, it is,” He pauses, before continuing. “Um, actually, I… I ended up doing some training last night. In the courtyard.”

That gets Maki’s attention. She looks up from her coffee for the first time during their conversation with a single eyebrow raised. “I didn’t realize you were still doing that.”

“Ah… I wasn’t, actually. I just couldn’t sleep last night, and I ended up outside. It kind of just happened, but… it helped, I think.”

“That’s… good.”

Shuichi shifts awkwardly. He’s not sure why he’s so nervous, but then again, they’re all kind of fragile right now. The last thing he wants to do is say the wrong thing and upset Maki. After all, she is kind of… touchy, when it comes to anything Kaito-related, so Shuichi’s completely avoided bringing him up. Still, he has a feeling that training with Maki again might help them both feel a little better, so he continues.

“I was thinking of doing it again, actually. And… I was wondering if you’d want to join me?” Despite his belief that it’ll be good for both of them, Shuichi’s words come out sounding uncertain. He hates it.

Maki’s head tilts slightly, and she’s silent for a moment. Shuichi can tell that she’s considering her words carefully. As she opens her mouth to reply, though, she’s interrupted by Himiko’s arrival in the cafeteria.

The girl in question announces her presence with a loud yawn as she makes her way over to the kitchen to grab a bowl of yogurt and a banana. Shuichi turns away from Maki to greet her, knowing that they’ll pick up their conversation again later.

“Morning, Himiko,” He says with a soft smile. He and Himiko weren’t particularly close during the killing game, with the shorter girl initially sticking close to either Tenko or Angie, and later, spending the majority of her free time with Gonta or Kiibo. Still, he’s always been fond of Himiko, even if she is a little odd. After all, they kind of all are, and Himiko’s strangeness is endearing.

“Good morning, Shuichi…” She yawns again. “Nyeh… It’s too early to be awake…”

Maki frowns. “Himiko, it’s nine.”

Himiko sighs, carrying her breakfast over and taking the seat next to Shuichi. “Exactly…”

Shuichi and Maki share an amused glance, before the three of them slip into a comfortable silence. It’s funny, Shuichi thinks. Before the killing game, he’d never really had many friends, and the ones he did have, he didn’t know particularly well, now that he thinks about it. Then again, that was just another conscious choice of Shirogane and Team Danganronpa. Still, he’s got friends now. Real ones. The thought makes Shuichi feel warm inside.

They’re not the type of people he’d ever imagined himself befriending. Really, they weren’t the first people he was drawn to, either. He’d hit it off with Kaede from the start, and Kaito soon after. He only chose to spend time with the other two only after their numbers began to dwindle. But they’ve been through a lot together, and right now, they’re all they have left. Shuichi loves them, he thinks. It’s not a realization, since he’s sort of known for a while, the feeling bubbling under the surface. Still, he hasn’t exactly acknowledged it directly before.

He glances at them over his coffee. Maki’s already finished hers and pushed the cup to the side, having pulled out several sheets of paper and started folding them into origami. Himiko is still eating her breakfast, looking a little drowsy. Shuichi smiles. Yep, he definitely loves them. Odd tendencies, prickliness, and all.

After Shuichi finishes his coffee, he takes his and Maki’s cups back to the kitchen and rinses them in the sink. Himiko sidles up next to him a few moments later, empty bowl in hand. She looks up at him with wide eyes, and he sighs, takes the bowl from her, and washes it, too. When he sits back down, she shoots him a grateful smile, and he returns it with a smile of his own.

“Thanks, Shuichi… The sink’s just at such an awkward angle for me, and my elbows always end up hurting when I try to clean my own dishes…”

Maki speaks without looking up from her origami. “You’d think they’d design this place so the people living here could actually use it properly.”

Shuichi frowns. “Ah, I’m pretty sure they cycle each cast through here. I doubt they build a new complex every season, after all.”

Maki flushes, not having thought of that. “Oh. You’re probably right, but… still. I feel like they should be bending over backwards to make up for what they put us through. It can’t be that hard to modify a sink.”

Himiko frowns, fidgeting with the sleeve of her shirt. “I dunno… I don’t think they like us very much, after we ruined their show and everything…”

“It was a horrible show. They should be thanking us,” Maki says, and though her voice is cool, it’s anything but calm. Himiko shifts awkwardly in her seat, clearly unsure of what to say in response, so Shuichi decides to speak up.

“It’s not quite modifying the sink, but… I was looking around in that storage closet the other day, and I think I recall seeing a footstool somewhere in there. That could help you reach the sink from a better angle, Himiko.”

The girl in question brightens at that. “Yeah, that’d be great. I can do my own dishes, and I won’t have to worry about banging up my elbows.”

The three of them slip into silence again after that. Himiko pulls out the sketchbook she’s been using and starts drawing, which prompts Shuichi to take out the novel he brought with him. It’s not particularly good, but it’s easy to get immersed in the story regardless. Sometimes, a story that’s fun and simple is better than a story that’s heavy and complicated. Shuichi thinks he’s had enough heaviness to last a lifetime.

Time passes in near silence, with only the sounds of paper folding, pencil scratching, and pages turning filling the void. After an hour or so, Shuichi hears Himiko shifting next to him, and sees her getting up to leave. In response to his questioning look, she merely shrugs.

“I’ve gotta pee. I’ll be right back, don’t worry,” She says, swinging her legs over the cafeteria bench and heading to the bathroom. Once she’s gone, Maki glances up at him.

“So, you want to train with me.”

Shuichi rubs the back of his neck nervously. “Ah… yeah. It felt good to be active again, even if it wasn’t the same, and it helped me get to sleep, too. But… it’s better to train with company.”

Maki’s expression is unreadable, and he worries he’s prodding at a raw wound. After a moment, though, she nods.

“Okay. You’re right. It’s going to feel a little… weird, without Kaito, but… I think he’d like it, probably. Honestly, he’ll probably scold us when he wakes up if we haven’t been keeping up training,” Maki smiles, fond and a little sad. Shuichi understands, though.

“Oh, definitely. That’s Kaito for you,” He laughs, and it’s sort of bittersweet too, and Maki just nods back at him, and he knows they're feeling the same way. Himiko comes back in a moment later, and looks between the two of them, confused.

“I was barely gone for two minutes, what’d I miss?” She asks, clearly feeling a little left out. Shuichi turns to face her, still smiling a little.

“We were just talking about starting up training again. You can come too, if you’d like,” He offers. Himiko frowns, considering the offer for a few seconds, before nodding.

“Nyeh… I probably won’t do much actual training, but… I think it’ll make Tenko happy when she wakes up,” She says, sliding back into her seat next to Shuichi. Maki nods.

“I think so, too, Himiko.”

Shuichi grins. “So, it’s decided? We’ll start training again tonight?”

Maki nods, looking a lot more at ease than he’s seen her in a while. “Yeah. I’m… looking forward to it.”

* * *

The night is colder than the one before, and it’s still cloudy, but that doesn’t stop the three of them from training. Himiko does fifteen sit-ups and about two and a half push-ups before she’s too tired to keep going. She hops up onto the picnic table nearby and swings her feet absently, watching the other two.

Maki still manages the most reps out of all of them, but she’s significantly slower than she was in the simulation. Still she remains quicker than Shuichi. It doesn’t seem to bother her, though. If anything, she seems more determined. Shuichi’s glad. It’s the most energy he’s seen from her in a while.

He’s feeling a little winded after fifty sit-ups, but he still manages around twenty push-ups before he’s completely beat. Maki finishes her own push-ups a few minutes after he does, and the three of them just sit in silence for a few minutes, not saying anything.

Shuichi finally speaks after he's sure both he and Maki have caught their breath. “So… would you want to do this again?”

Himiko nods, still perched on top of the picnic table. “Yeah, I think so. I’m not as good at this stuff as you two, but I’d like to get better. That way, maybe I can train with Tenko some once she wakes up.”

Shuichi smiles softly at that. “I think she’ll really like that, Himiko.”

Maki nods. “Definitely. And, I’ll keep training, too. Like we were talking about earlier, Kaito would probably scold us for slacking off or something,” She pauses. “Idiot…” She says under her breath, and Shuichi notes the fondness in her voice. It's basically a term of endearment from Maki. Well, when it was directed at Kaito, at least.

Himiko chooses that moment to yawn loudly, hopping down from the picnic table. “This was good, but I’m really tired now…” She yawns again. “I’m gonna go to bed. Goodnight, you guys.”

Maki gets to her feet as well, reaching out a hand to help Shuichi up. “I’m pretty worn out, too. It’s been a while since I actually trained,” She pauses for a moment, seemingly considering her next words carefully. “And… thanks, Shuichi. I really needed this.”

Shuichi rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Ah… it’s no problem. Really, I needed this, but I’m glad it can help you, too.”

Maki looks like she might say something else in response, before just smiling softly and turning to leave. “Goodnight, Shuichi.”

“Goodnight,” He says, and turns back to look up at the sky. It’s still cloudy, and he can’t really see any stars, but he’s able to see the moon, bright and nearly full. Shuichi stares at it for a moment, the cold air biting at his face and his fingers. He’s still feeling the rush from finishing training, and he’s tired, but it’s the good kind. He feels better than he has in a long time. The moon stares back at him.

After another few seconds, he tears his eyes away, and heads back inside, a faint smile playing on his lips. _Yeah_ , he thinks, _this was a good call_.

That night, Shuichi dreams of planets, stars, and a bright, bright moon.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you sm for reading!! i hope you enjoyed it :) like i said, we should get into the real story of this au soon, and entries are probably gonna get significantly longer lmao.
> 
> as always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, and i hope you have a great day!!


End file.
